Telematics control utilizing relational formulas

Abstract

A telematics unit is provided. The telematics unit includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium and a processor, configured to execute a telematics task manager application according to processor-executable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The telematics task manager application comprises a plurality of tasks. Each task includes one or more subtasks. Each subtask including subtask-specific triggering logic for execution of one or more actions based on the triggering logic. The triggering logic is based on modular condition blocks.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium; 
 a processor, configured to execute a telematics task manager application according to processor-executable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium; 
 wherein the telematics task manager application comprises a plurality of tasks and a plurality of modular condition blocks, wherein each task includes one or more subtasks, each subtask includes subtask-specific triggering logic for execution of one or more actions based on the triggering logic, and the triggering logic is based on the plurality of modular condition blocks; 
 wherein the telematics task manager application is configured to communicate with vehicle sensors and control modules of the telematics-equipped vehicle to determine whether sensed conditions of the telematics-equipped vehicle corresponding to the plurality of modular condition blocks are met, wherein the conditions include conditions relating to:
 a powertrain status, and 
 an ignition status, and 
 
 wherein a sensed condition of the telematics-equipped vehicle relating to the powertrain status corresponds to a diagnostic trouble code (DTC), and wherein a sensed condition of the telematics-equipped vehicle relating to the ignition status corresponds to whether the vehicle ignition is being run. 
 
     
     
       2. The telematics unit of  claim 1 , wherein each task further includes a task storage buffer. 
     
     
       3. The telematics unit of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more actions if the triggering logic evaluates to TRUE based on a Boolean relational formula utilizing the modular condition blocks. 
     
     
       4. The telematics unit of  claim 3 , wherein the Boolean relational formula defines a relationship between the modular condition blocks using at least one of an AND, THEN, OR, or NOT operator. 
     
     
       5. The telematics unit of  claim 4 , wherein the Boolean relational formula defines the relationship between the modular condition blocks using a combination of at least two of the AND, THEN, OR, or NOT operators. 
     
     
       6. The telematics unit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the modular condition blocks is used in more than one subtask. 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, part of a telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle, having processor-executable instructions thereon for controlling operation of the telematics unit, the processor-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the following steps to be performed:
 communicating, by a telematics task manager application of the telematics unit, with vehicle sensors and control modules of the telematics-equipped vehicle to determine whether sensed conditions of the telematics-equipped vehicle corresponding to a plurality of modular condition blocks are met, wherein the conditions include conditions relating to:
 a powertrain status, and 
 an ignition status; 
 
 determining, by the telematics task manager application, that subtask-specific triggering logic indicates that one or more actions is to be performed, wherein the determination further comprises determining that a Boolean relational formula utilizing modular condition blocks of the plurality of modular condition blocks evaluates to TRUE; and 
 performing the one or more actions, 
 wherein a sensed condition of the telematics-equipped vehicle relating to the powertrain status corresponds to a diagnostic trouble code (DTC), and wherein a sensed condition of the telematics-equipped vehicle relating to the ignition status corresponds to whether the vehicle ignition is being run. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the following step to be performed: storing, by the telematics task manager application, task-related data to a task storage buffer. 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the Boolean relational formula defines a relationship between the modular condition blocks using at least one of an AND, THEN, OR, or NOT operator. 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the Boolean relational formula defines the relationship between the modular condition blocks using a combination of at least two of the AND, THEN, OR, or NOT operators. 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the modular condition blocks is used in more than one subtask. 
     
     
       12. A processor-implemented method for controlling operation of a telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle, the method comprising:
 communicating, by a telematics task manager application of the telematics unit, with vehicle sensors and control modules of the telematics-equipped vehicle to determine whether sensed conditions of the telematics-equipped vehicle corresponding to a plurality of modular condition blocks are met, wherein the conditions include conditions relating to:
 a powertrain status, and 
 an ignition status; 
 
 determining, by the telematics task manager application executed by a processor of the telematics unit, that subtask-specific triggering logic indicates that one or more actions is to be performed, wherein the determination further comprises determining that a Boolean relational formula utilizing modular condition blocks of the plurality of modular condition blocks evaluates to TRUE; and 
 performing the one or more actions, 
 wherein a sensed condition of the telematics-equipped vehicle relating to the powertrain status corresponds to a diagnostic trouble code (DTC), and wherein a sensed condition of the telematics-equipped vehicle relating to the ignition status corresponds to whether the vehicle ignition is being run. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 storing, by the telematics task manager application, task-related data to a task storage buffer. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the Boolean relational formula defines a relationship between the modular condition blocks using at least one of an AND, THEN, OR, or NOT operator. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the Boolean relational formula defines the relationship between the modular condition blocks using a combination of at least two of the AND, THEN, OR, or NOT operators. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the modular condition blocks is used in more than one subtask.